Cops Need to Fight Crime not Motorists

[rustyroger]

Over here ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras are fitted to a lot of police vehicles, they tell the officers instantly if the car has insurance, the required roadworthiness certificate, and who is the registered keeper. Roadside speed cameras are everywhere as well.
I don't have a problem with that, I stump up my insurance premiums, keep my car roadworthy and drive within the law as do most other drivers. I don't want to share the road with the *ssh*les who don't. Guess who figure disproportionately largely in getting caught for DUI?, that's right, the ones who don't trouble to pay their insurance etc.
i have been pulled over a few times on the pretext of a fault with my car, really they want to see if I've been drinking, not a problem as I will NEVER fail a breath test, I'm not teetotal, just sensible about keeping my drivers licence.
You want to drive an unusual car?, fine, keep it legal and roadworthy, stay sober and drug free and you will find the cops are on the whole nice guys. If you fit the same profile as a lot of frequent offenders you will be stopped more often than those who don't. Get on with it. The cop who pulled you over for no obvious reason and sent you on your way because you check out as ok has wasted a bit of your and their time, if you have commited an offence he or she will be "wasting" even more time writing up your ticket while they could be out catching "real" criminals.
When I visit the USA I don't mind being questioned by INS & customs at the airport or asked to step aside for a thorough search by security, sure I'd rather not have the inconvenience but I want to arrive safely as well.
Roger.

 

[bill]

...We Road Patrol guys have a 15 mph rule...meaning if your going 68 in a 55 your good, soon as you hit 70 your good to stop. Now when I was on the DWI unit, that's another story...12 your fine and 13 your mine...

Haha, not around here...
I've never been bothered in Minneapolis (knock on wood), but the surrounding suburbs that I grew up in and live in now are a different story.
5 mph over and you're getting stopped. Day or night. Guaranteed.
After 10 pm, they will literally follow you for as long as they can to try and find something to pull you over for they're so desparate to find drunk drivers.

Why is driving after 10pm "suspicious"?? Is there a curfew for adults now? **** off!
I certainly don't think that it's grounds to search my car, which it seems like every officer is dying to do...

The problem is they are nicer areas, and the "concerned citizens" demand more police presence to make them feel safe.
Meanwhile, the huge staff of officers have nothing to do accept harass motorists to fight off their boredom.
I get followed CONSTANTLY... and you wouldn't believe the kind of rediculous excuses they give for stopping me.
I've been pulled over probably 30 times in the past 10 years. Only gotten about 6 tickets, but have had enough interaction to know what a joke 90% of their job is...
I'm not trying to take away from the good that they do, but it seems like a lot of their energy is misdirected...

When I was a kid, the police would WALK the sidewalks, checking for locked doors in the business district, etc. When was the last time you saw a cop WALKING anywhere? A few yrs back I worked 2nd shift at the local CAT plant and every thurs, fri, sat night I left work, I was followed by a sheriff deputy for a few miles because there were a few watering holes on the same road. They would be so close to my truck that I couldnt see their headlights. Got pulled a few times and they kept asking me each time if I had been drinking.... I understand their intention but I believe there should be a violation first before the stop, instead of the other way around. This is still a free country right? Innocent until PROVEN otherwise?

 

[papabearxl]

Regardless, i always use yes sir/maam, no sir/maam.....respect is always the way to go. Can smooth things out considerably.

 

[tc1959]

Regardless, i always use yes sir/maam, no sir/maam.....respect is always the way to go. Can smooth things out considerably.

X2

 

[bill]

Regardless, i always use yes sir/maam, no sir/maam.....respect is always the way to go. Can smooth things out considerably.

I am always very polite and respectful of the person behind the badge, but the system they represent is a different matter.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

I have a few different takes on this. I'm a Sgt for a Public Safety department at a university in the city. We don't do traffic on campus but we receive more calls than a lot of suburban departments. I also work closely with 2 CPD districts since we're on the dividing line between them.

As a supervisor, I personally hate getting called to an incident when one of my officers doesn't know how to de-escalate a situation. The unfortunate thing is that every department has a few gung-ho guys that want to Billy-badass.

Now on the other hand, not everyone goes to work looking for action or trouble. I would love for my nights to be boring and quiet. Unfortunately some things can't be ignored or swept under the rug. There are cameras everywhere. Phone lines in dispatch are recorded. Radio traffic is recorded. I'm not 100% up to date with how the plate readers take info, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's logged too. Then the bottom line becomes necessary for the officer to respond. You ignore the call, you can lose your job or face disciplinary action. If you have your sh*t together there's nothing to worry about.

Traffic stops and approaching vehicles is the most unpredictable thing you can experience. You don't know who or what is in the car or if they're armed. That traffic stop just might have prevented some drunk ******* from killing a family.

Nobody likes to be treated like sh*t or disrespected....and that goes both ways. 99% of the time your demeanor will affect the outcome.

 

[Phoenyx]

I actually got pulled over last year because one of my headlights was a little bit brighter than the other one. And with my luck, it was the first day having the car out and I forgot my insurance slip at home. The sad thing, I could see my house from where I was pulled over and told the cop that it was less than 50' away and I could run over and get it for him. But he still gave me the no insurance ticket anyway.

My first week of driving I was playing around with a guy in a Mustang (I had my V8 Monza back then). We were maybe doing 5-10 kms over the speed limit, nothing crazy. And I see a cop in an SUV come sideways around a corner to get us. The guy in the Mustang just floored it and took off. But I pulled to the side (thinking he's gonna go after the guy running away), and he pulls me over. And the first words out of his mouth (I'll never forget this) were, "I know the other guy was going faster and ran, but you stopped and were easier to catch." Really?

I used to have a buddy years ago, he would literally get pulled over every time he went for a cruise (he has a nice blue 71 Dart Swinger). And I mean, even a 5 minute drive to the store meant getting pulled over for some stupid reason. But he finally went to the RCMP and had our local police charged for harassment.

Another time I had a cop pull me over because one of the high beam bulb was broken on my old 64 GMC. I tried explaining to him that with 4.11s I never take it on the highway so I didn't need high beams. But I still had to sit there for 45 minutes so he could pick my truck apart and give me a bunch of BS tickets. One for the headlight, one for no back bumper (he couldn't understand the fact that my truck never came with one. and up here, if it didn't come from factory we don't have to put it on), and there was a few other things I can't remember. But of course I was right and they all got tossed.

In that same truck, my brother (was his I bought it from him) he was pulled over for no seat belts. He argued with the cop that because it never came with them, he didn't have to have them. The the cop (was a rookie) called for 'back up', and when the other cops came and heard the situation he just told my brother sorry and that he could go.

Another friend of mine had an 80 RX-7. She had 2 people in the car with her (one in the hatch area). The cop gave the girl in the back a seatbelt ticket (up here, as long as all the available belts are being used it's OK). And bitched at the driver and told her she could be charged too for modifying her RX-7 by removing the back seats. And he claimed to have seen many cars that style with a back seat

I'm not saying all cops are bad, I know there's good ones to. But the bad ones ruin the reputation for the good ones.

 

[Blazenlotus]

When I was 16 I borrowed my grandmas mini van. It was one of those ugly long chevy ones. Anyways me and my sister pulled up to a stop light. A guy in an 80 something camaro pulled up next to us. So being the young kid I was I reved up the engine. As soon as the light turned green we floored it. At about 90mph we were side by side with the camaro. Top a hill and sure as sh*t there was a cop. The cop turned on his lights and pulled up behind the camaro and stoped him. I am sure he didnt stop us because of the mini van but I slowed way down after that.

 

[MD13ailey]

when I was in highschool i got pulled over once a week no matter what. most of the time it was because i "wasnt wearing my seat belt" when they walked up to the car they did see my factory seatbelt dangling there a right before they said somethin they spotted the cage and harness, took my license and registration. everything checked out and it was good. on the other hand i did some dumb stuff and got let off lightly because i showed respect and every cop in town new me and the car. example i came sideway out of a burrito place at like 11:30 at night just so happened the car i slid sideways infront of happened to be an unmarked officer.... he pulled me over obviously came to the window I already had my stuff ready. he actually had a smile on his face and said "do you know why I pulled you over? "so I respond "probly because I'm about 15dbs over the sound limit i left some nasty black marks on the freshly paved road and i was in a controled slide" he paused for a second and with a smile said "no you were clearly violating the conservation law I'm gonna let you off with a warning this time".

 

[beermonkey9417]

around here (cook county il) the sheriffs police are DICKS! i saw one on my way home after 11pm coming from work, this sheriffs police driving with no headlights on! he pulls into the the gas station and i pull in and tell him, hey yer headlights are off and he says, i know. :shock: i said you know yer supposed to set an example for us civies, not take advantage of your badge that way. and flat out told me to go home. then the other night ther was a female sheriffs police going 5 under the speed limit and i was going 5 over like everyone else. also on my way home. and everyday i avoid the same manhole cover the same way. so i make a left onto a road and then a right into the liquor store parking lot, using my signal on both turns, and she pulls up behind me witht he cherries on. so i pull into a spot and turn off my car. i dont take off my seatbelt to get my wallet, thats just asking for a ticket. she comes up and askes me with a quizacle look on her face "do you have a licence and insurance?" and i say yes i do. she ased then what was my hurry, i said there was no hurry, im going home after werk. she then asked for my licence and insurance and then i showed her i was buckled, she nodded and then i took off my seat belt and gave her them. she then asked what was with the manuver i pulled back there, i said i was avoiding the manhole cover she then gave me back my stuff and left. no have a good night, or be safe,just heres yer sh*t and walk away. i glad she didnt notice i didnt have a county sticker in my window 😱 but out here the sheriffs police are just there to find a reason to get you to pay court fees because cook county is broke, and now theres an added court fee of $160 for any traffic violation. i have yet to get pulled over in my elky, knock on wood, but im assuming i will sooner than later by some guy thinking hes gonna have a bunch of tickets to give me and then ill have to let him down... :wink: